Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin accuses army of leaving Bakhmut's flanks exposed

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Thursday claimed that the Russian army battalions had retreated 570 m north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, leaving the flanks of his own fighters exposed, according to a report.

There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry, reported Reuters adding that the agency was unable to verify his assertion.

“Unfortunately, units of the Russian Defence Ministry have withdrawn up to 570 metres to the north of Bakhmut, exposing our flanks,” Reuters report quoted Prigozhin as saying in a voice message.

“I am appealing to the top leadership of the Ministry of Defence – publicly – because my letters are not being read,” Prigozhin added.

Wagner forces have been spearheading the assault on Bakhmut, one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the war, something Moscow calls “a special military operation,” with some support from the regular army in recent months.

Prigozhin, who has repeatedly accused Russia’s top military brass of not doing enough to back his men, asked the defence ministry to do all it could to protect Bakhmut’s flanks after what he alleged was a withdrawal.

“Please do not give up the flanks,” he said, addressing Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff.

Wagner says it has taken most of the shattered city – albeit at enormous human cost. But Ukraine says its forces have retaken territory around Bakhmut in recent days.

Moscow sees Bakhmut, a city of about 70,000 before the war, as a potential stepping stone towards capturing the rest of the eastern industrial Donbas region bordering Russia.

With inputs from agencies

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